Brisbane, Sydney can't be split

Brisbane and Sydney FC played out a battling 1-1 draw at in their Westfield W-League clash at Goodwin Park on Sunday afternoon.

Brisbane and Sydney FC played out a battling 1-1 draw at in their Westfield W-League clash at Goodwin Park on Sunday afternoon.

In a match that contained plenty of tough challenges as well as some thrilling attacking play, the Sky Blues were the stronger team in the opening stanza, while a more-organised Brisbane largely dominated play in the second half.

Renee Rollason scored early for Sydney FC before Hayley Raso equalised in the second half for the Roar.

Sydney poured forward from the opening whistle and came up with a goal from a corner after four minutes, with Rollason burying the effort into the roof of the net.

Katrina-Lee Gorry's sensational free kick from 30 metres was tipped onto the crossbar by Sydney goalkeeper Casey Dumont with 17 minutes gone, as the Roar attempted to recover from the early blow.

Jody Taylor, meanwhile, repeatedly troubled the Brisbane defence with a series of dangerous runs into the box.

Brisbane turned on the afterburners in a dramatic two-minute spell in which they somehow failed to score.

Raso's shot was parried by the keeper before Gorry's follow up was brilliantly turned around the post.

Moments later, Raso fired in another powerful effort but was again denied, then Tameka Butt belted an effort against the crossbar.

Just before the break some delightful interplay in the attacking third saw Butt play through Raso, who beat two defenders before her shot was saved by Dumont to ensure Sydney retained their lead at half-time.

Taylor should have doubled the Sky Blues' lead just after the interval when a defensive blunder sent her through one-on-one with Nadine Angerer, but after deftly rounding the keeper she failed to hit the open net.

Brisbane executed a perfect counterattack following a Sydney corner after 55 minutes to tie the scores, with Larissa Crummer storming down the left and crossing for Raso, who expertly rolled her effort into the far corner.

Emily Gielnik had two bites of the cherry from a Roar corner after 78 minutes, but could not hit the target with her close-range shot after an initial air swing.

Rollason forced a fine save from Nadine Angerer in injury time with a curling free kick from wide on the left, but there would be no more clear chances as the game finished with scores level.